Inkjet printers that perform printing by intermittently ejecting ink are known as printing apparatuses for printing images onto various types of media to be printed, including paper, cloth, and film. In such inkjet printers, printing is carried out by alternately repeating a process of moving the paper in the carrying direction and positioning it, and a process of ejecting ink from nozzles while moving the nozzles in the scanning direction.
In such inkjet printers, the paper is moved in the carrying direction while the edges of the paper are guided by guides. However, since there may be manufacturing errors in the position at which the guides are provided, there are individual differences for every printer. Therefore, there has been a possibility that the print start position will differ for each printer.
Accordingly, it has been suggested to provide a paper width sensor on the printer and determine the print start position in accordance with the result that is output by this paper width sensor.
In this case, the paper width sensor may be mounted on a carriage for moving the nozzles. The printer detects both edges of the paper with the paper width sensor before printing, and determines the print start position in accordance with the results of detecting both edges.
However, in such a method, it is necessary to move the carriage in the scanning direction and detect both edges of the paper before printing. That is to say, before printing, an operation to move the carriage is necessary and thus the time required for printing becomes lengthened.
It is an object of the present invention to set the print start position to an appropriate position, as well as shorten the time required for printing.